Typically, a tailgate is pivotally mounted between body side panels forming the pillars at the rear of the vehicle. The tailgate pivots about a hinge axis between a horizontal, open position and a vertical, closed position. Preferably, the mounting assemblies for the tailgate permit the tailgate to be removed, removal typically being accomplished when the tailgate is pivoted to a position between the fully open or fully closed position. For example, the tailgate may include hinge pins that extend outwardly along the hinge axis that removably connect into brackets carried on the truck body. When the tailgate is pivoted to a predetermined intermediate position, for example, 15° away from the fully closed position, at least one of the hinge pins slips through a slot in the connecting bracket as the tailgate is lifted at one end from the truck body.
Some of the tailgate mounting assemblies include counterbalance mechanisms, such as torque rods for assisting with the opening and closing of the tailgate. These torque rods are located, at least in part, within the tailgate for spring biasing between the tailgate and the body panel pillars. These torque rods typically require numerous components to assemble the torque rod to the tailgate.
In some instances, it may be desirable to keep the tailgate in the open position, such as for transporting material having a greater length than vehicle's bed. As such, the tailgate can be susceptible to closing by way of the counterbalancing mechanism. For example, the tailgate might bounce in a direction toward closure if the vehicle were to inadvertently go over a bump or into a pothole, and the counterbalancing mechanism would then assist in potentially closing the tailgate.